Pickup Review: 2011 Ford F-150 with EcoBoost

The 2011 Ford F-150 Platinum edition pickup is as luxurious as it is capable.

PHOTO: Derek McNaughton, Postmedia News

The 2011 Ford F-150 Platinum edition pickup is as luxurious as it is capable.

PHOTO: Derek McNaughton, Postmedia News

The 2011 Ford F-150 Platinum edition pickup is able to tow up to 11,300 pounds.

PHOTO: Derek McNaughton, Postmedia News

The F-150 Platinum interior has more plastic than should be on a vehicle of this class.

PHOTO: Derek McNaughton, Postmedia News

The 2011 Ford F-150 Platinum edition pickup is as luxurious as it is capable.

PHOTO: Derek McNaughton, Postmedia News

Platinum Edition

By Derek McNaughton, Postmedia News

Originally published: May 17, 2011

SMALL

MEDIUM

LARGE

Stand on the accelerator of Ford’s EcoBoost F-150 and not only will this truck deliver a burnout smoky enough to elicit crazy cheers from the most ardent Mustang fans (and possibly trigger a costly ticket), but it will also jump to 100 kilometres an hour in about seven seconds. Then, when you’re done acting like a juvenile, it will tow a fully outfitted Mastercraft up to the lake while carrying as many cement bags as you can mix in one day — and do it all with two fewer cylinders than you think.

Clearly, Ford’s EcoBoost twin-turbo V6 would like to make the gasoline V8 engine extinct — or would it?

There’s no question this direct-injection V6 is a sweetheart. Extremely quiet at idle, the 3.5-litre runs on regular-grade fuel, exhibits no objectionable coarseness under heavy throttle and promises 20% better fuel economy. That’s one giant leap forward for anyone kicking tires on a new truck.

But promises can be tricky: During the week I drove this truck, the absolute best economy I could achieve was 16.5 litres per 100 kilometres highway and 19.5 L/100 km city — this while trying to drive as though I worked for the David Suzuki Foundation. That’s a big gulf from the advertised rating of 13.9 city and 9.4 highway.

The fact the Platinum edition tester was as green as newly sprouted fescue, with a mere 221 kilometres on the odometer when collected, may have had something to do with the disappointing economy, the readings for which are displayed large and clear on the F-150’s beautifully lit instrument panel. Once broken in, the figures are likely to improve. Still, I was hoping for better out of the gate, especially when a fill-up at today’s prices will cost about $125 and only get you 500 or so kilometres, not to mention that Ford’s F-350 diesel I tested last year achieved much better mileage while towing a boat.

I could not, however, have hoped for a more satisfying truck. There is something eminently pleasing about steering this truck about town or in the country. Perhaps it’s the ride height or the good visibility over a nicely shaped hood or possibly because this is a vehicle of substance, but the F-150 is like having a good conversation with an intelligent CEO — rich with depth, forward thinking, yet calm and reasoned, too.

Sure, the ride exhibits the usual quivers and jiggles over sporadic bumps from which all pickups suffer and I did notice some cabin flex over severely potholed roads, but there is also a smoothness and sophistication to the ride I never expected.

Out on the highway, the F-150 felt especially comfortable, as though I could drive for days and not grow weary. The truck tracks well and seems to have banished all vibration and harshness. Wind noise, even with those big mirrors, is almost completely absent. Only when the engine is working hard does the sound intrude into the tranquil cabin. (I actually wondered what that sound was while cresting a hill, then realized it was the engine, which I had not noticed for some time.) The sound is almost like that of a small V8.

With a window down, the engine’s two Garrett GT15 turbochargers can be heard spooling up to provide 12 psi of boost whenever the accelerator is applied, making for a genuine pickup sound, very much like Ford’s Power Stroke diesel. Thanks to those turbos, the V6 is able to deliver a stump-pulling 420 pound-feet of torque, most of it arriving at a right-now 2,500 rpm, so the power is felt as soon as the foot touches throttle.

Out on the highway, the engine’s 365 horsepower makes it easy to let the speed carry you away from 80 kilometres an hour to 140 km/h without realizing it. Maximum towing capability is 5,135 kilograms — a hauling weight that’s out of reach for plenty of V8 engines on the market.

The F-150 4×4 felt utterly tight and buttoned down, exhibiting not one single squeak or rattle no matter how horrible the road. Switching from rear-wheel drive to four-wheel drive requires the deep dexterity of turning one knob.

The Platinum edition offers many extras some might see as superfluous, including power extendable and retractable side steps (which I sheepishly admit I like, being as functionally wide as they are slick, even if they collect dirt). The Platinum also comes with sharp-looking 20-inch wheels, quality leather seats, a sunroof and numerous other interior upgrades.

It’s unfortunate, though, that the interior of the $63,000 tester was diminished by an abundance of plastic, especially on the top of the dash. But the gloss black centre stack and brushed aluminum are well done. Many of the gauges are smart looking, and the controls and functions are relatively easy to operate, though my BlackBerry would not remain paired with the truck’s Bluetooth system no matter what I did. It would also be nice to see a vehicle of this sophistication and price offer some kind of smart-key lock and ignition function so the key could be left in the pocket. Some additional storage up front wouldn’t hurt either.

The 3.5L EcoBoost engine, however, is a veritable bargain as a $1,000 option, considering the V8-like torque it delivers over the non-turbo 3.7L V6, not to mention its level of silkiness. Mated to the standard six-speed manumatic transmission, the powertrain is ideal for almost every ordinary thing for which a pickup will be used.

If durability is a concern, it shouldn’t be. Ford ran one of these V6s through a series of heat cycles to the equivalent of 241,000 km, then used the same engine to haul large timbers for a day before dropping it in a Baja truck for a desert race, after which the engine was torn down and revealed to be within new-build tolerances.

Ford certainly doesn’t want to lose momentum behind the F-150 — it sold 97,913 F-Series pickups in Canada in 2010, the highest total for any vehicle type. Offering the EcoBoost V6 in 2011, along with a 5.0L and 6.2L V8, might be seen as a gamble when pickup buyers almost universally prefer V8s, but the turbo V6 proves unequivocally how redundant those extra cylinders are.